- As 2025 Report highlights massive gains in domestic income mobilisation
BY COBHAM NSA – Driven by targeted audit interventions, the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) has successfully recovered about USD 685.8 million of the USD 907.8 million in tax assessments generated for its member countries with Africa now enjoying an elevated voice in global tax discourse
According to the Forum, aggressive compliance measures, spanning cross-border VAT, transfer pricing audits, and digital services taxes, unlocked over $193 million in recovered revenue. A breakdown of the revenue gains indicates $47.1 million from transfer pricing audits, $3.57 million from digital services tax and $142.96 million from cross-border Value Added Tax (VAT) compliance measures.
Additionally, as part of efforts to strengthen domestic resource mobilization, ATAF championed essential legislative and administrative reforms across Africa this year, even as their comprehensive support included providing on-the-ground technical assistance to 35 countries and training 2,433 officials from 43 nations, with Nigeria among the key beneficiaries.
ATAF’s expanding footprints in optimizing revenue systems as well as amplifying Africa’s voice in global tax policy discussions and agenda are highlighted in its newly released 2025 Annual Report with the organisation explaining that the additional revenue is helping governments strengthen public finances and improve their capacity to fund infrastructure, healthcare, education and other development priorities without excessive dependence on borrowing.
Besides reflecting a year of significant progress across ATAF’s strategic priorities, including capacity building, technical assistance, research, digital transformation, international tax cooperation, and institutional strengthening. In 2025 alone, the report also highlights ATAF’s expanding role in shaping global tax discourse and ensuring African perspectives are reflected in international tax policy processes.
These include engagements with the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and broader discussions on illicit financial flows, digital taxation, and tax transparency.
ATAF Executive Secretary, Ms Mary Baine, who spoke about the report’s unveiling, said it demonstrates the growing urgency and importance of domestic resource mobilisation in Africa’s development agenda, adding: “Domestic Resource Mobilisation is no longer optional for Africa; it is the foundation for sustainable development, economic resilience, and fiscal sovereignty.
“As external financing declines and fiscal pressures intensify, African countries must strengthen tax systems to modernise revenue administration, and build fiscally resourced states that finance development with integrity, effectiveness, and measurable results”.
On driving real impact for Africans, Ms Baine said ATAF is dedicated to strengthening development financing through Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM), collaborating with stakeholders to implement reforms that tangibly improve the lives of people across the continent.
